The first semi-final of “Pesma za Evroviziju 23” takes place tonight. Eight out of sixteen acts will be advancing to the final which is set to take place this Saturday, 4th of March. We had a chance to talk with Milan Bujaković who will be competing as 13th act of the second-semi-final tomorrow evening. Milan is a singer who already took part at the Serbian national selection in 2020, he performed “Niti” in a duet with Olivera and they ended on 9th place in the show.

Hello Milan, first of all I would like to congratulate you for being selected for Pesma za Evroviziju 2023. How does that feel and what made you decide to take part at the show?
Hello, thank you for the congratulations, it’s nice to be here again. Well, I was driven by my desire to sing and compete at the biggest festival in this part of Europe.

This won’t be your first time taking part at Serbian selection for Eurovision Song Contest as three years ago you made your debut at Beovizija in a duet with Olivera singing “Niti” which ended on  9th place in the final. In which way will that experience help you achieve the best possible result at PzE 23?
That’s right, three years ago I performed with a colleague at the then Beovision and we achieved great success. The song “Niti” left a deep mark, and today it is often sung at our public performances. That experience will help me a lot because now I know what the concept of the show is. Preparations, rehearsals… as well as everything else that follows this show

A very small part of the melody for “Fenomen” reminded me at the intro of Europe’s “Carrie” was that one of the inspirations behind it? How did your song came to life?
Wow, thank you. For me, that’s a big compliment considering that Europe is one of the best groups ever. We didn’t even think of that, but I’m glad if you get that impression because the song “Carrie” is one of the most beautiful rock ballads in the world.
This song came to life because we had the desire to send a beautiful message of love, peace and togetherness. In a time where there is not much good news, we wanted to send one good news, one good message. The very fact that we are at this festival means that the message has been sent.

On the song you cooperated with music producer Alek Aleksov who took part at Eurovision four times (Lejla 2006, Oro 2008, Bistra voda 2009 and Nije ljubav stvar 2012) as well as with Miro Buljan, Nenad Ćeranić and Dragiša Baša who also wrote the lyrics of “Fenomen” how did that cooperation start?
Oh yes, I can say that I have a little dream team behind me. As you said, Alek Aleksov is the Serbian record holder for the number of participation in Eurovision as an author. In this song, together with Nenad Ćeranić, who is an excellent singer and author, he participated in the creation of one part of the song, while the second part of the song was spiced up by the great Miro Buljan (one of the biggest hit makers in our region), who has over 1200 compositions and I don’t think there is any of the greatest performers who didn’t collaborate with him. And we were all brought together and connected by the man who wrote that beautiful love message. His name is Dragiša Baša, one of the greatest songwriters and composers from this region. So, in the end, we packed that beautiful message, along with good music, wonderful backing vocals and the emotion I feel when I sing it, into one wonderful package called “Fenomen” (Phenomenon). And we want to send it to Liverpool.

What can we expect from your performance? Can you give us a hint?
Lots of emotions. That’s all I can say…

In the last year you have been releasing covers on your YouTube channel, will you be releasing more of the cover videos and if so which of the songs do you plan to cover next?
Yes, I am. Those were some of my favorite songs that I also like to listen privately. There will surely be more, but it won’t be easy to choose which songs will be there. But let’s go step by step, first let PzE 23 pass, and then we’ll see where the road we call life leads.

Do you watch Eurovision regularly, if so would you like to share a memory which you have of it or a favourite song from the contest?
Obligatory! It’s a family tradition just like Christmas. We all gather with food and drinks, watch, comment and cheer for our favorite.
Well, I will always remember Marija Šerifović‘s victory, but every Eurovision has some authentic moment, or a performance, or a costume, or a song… There is always something that remains impressive.

If you had a chance to make a duet with any Pesma za Evroviziju /Eurovision participant, who would you choose?
It would be Egret. He is a very talented songwriter, composer, singer and musician… But above all, a great man and my long time friend.

What do you do when you are not singing or creating music? Any hobbies?
I do a lot of things. I am an economist by profession, so I do that during the working week, but I also have a lot of hobbies. I have been acting for many years, so my love for theater and film remained in my heart, so I regularly go to the theater and cinema. I also like sports, so I try to have regular physical activities. BUT… Above all those activities, my first priority is to spend enough time with my loved ones.

What are your plans after Pesma za Evroviziju 2023?
After the “Pesma za Evroviziju” I have a lot to do. I wrote one song that I sent to be selected for another festival, we’ll see if the song will be selected. In the summer I have a tour with my band with whom I have been performing for many years.

Thank you so much for your time Milan. We wish you the best of luck at the Pesma za Evroviziju. Do you want to share something else or you maybe have a message for readers of escbubble?
Thank you. It was a pleasure to participate in this interview. I just want to tell you: Love each other, all problems are temporary and everything can be solved. Look for the good in people and try to be kind to each another, starting with those closest to you. Fenomen “Phenomenon” tells us that. Love each other.

You can listen to “Fenomen” by Milan Bujaković below:

If Milan is one of your favorites at Pesma za Evroviziju 23, make sure to vote for him and your other favorites in our polls below:

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